


Safe Distance

by PetiteNiku



Category: Free!
Genre: I have no idea how to tag, M/M, Pirate AU, merman au, slow build up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-02-09 22:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2000151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetiteNiku/pseuds/PetiteNiku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nitori enjoys watching the large boats and their white sails pass by. He knows man live in those structures, and he knows the consequences if he is seen by them. Yet that doesn't stop him from going near the ships. One too many times, has he almost been noticed. One too many times, has he wanted to catch a glimpse of one specific human. One too many times, he couldn't keep a safe distance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Merman

Nitori took an interest with humans.  

As one of the Mer, this interest made him dangerous around the rest of his kind. The Mer's only love are gems and they desire to hoard treasure. They swim endlessly to find a glimmer of jewelry. When a human corpse floats in their path, the sea creatures will not waste time to drag them further down and snatch any ornaments to suffice their desire. Some wore their findings but most would bury them under the sand in the deepest part of waters.

Nitori loves pretty gems as much as the next Mer, but his desire to see man is much stronger. He blamed his last pod for this desire. Their stories peaked his interest to the point where he would much rather search for the land dwellers then a glint of gold. Over time he made a habit of going near ships and float around them long enough to learn small bits of their garbled language.

_Sails._

_Captain._

_Grog._

_Bilge rat._

He wanted to know how to speak human. He wanted nothing more then to interact with at least  _one_. Because of this obsession, his pod found Nitori a danger to their group and shunned him out.  

There was a time that he hated being avoided by other Mer. He wanted to be noticed, some sort of _interaction_. The longer he was shunned by his kind, the longer he spent on the surface. 

He very much preferred to be on the surface. 

Months passed since his pod left him alone. He made a daily routine to surface and search for humans. Almost all the time there was nothing but sky and a vast of ocean. He made the habit of narrowing his eyes, finding something across the horizon for those sails. He would spend hours swimming and looking. Even when the sun sank down in the horizon, his eyes continued to search. When it was late enough, Nitori called it quits and sank back down, going in a light slumber.

* * *

Something woke Nitori up one night. His body went stiff, confused eyes wandering around his surroundings. He had sworn that something brushed against his skin. It took him seconds to realize that the current was a little stronger than he remembered. A school of various fish suddenly swam past him, rushing to get away from  _something._

He suddenly froze. The waters were changing.

_No No No NO!_

Angry waves came rolling in, giving the merman no control.

Nitori made the mistake of sleeping too close to the surface. A storm has brewed in the middle of the night and the waters were sending him off in every direction. He was starting to hate being thrown around underwater. Terrified, Nitori's tail was moving in a rapid speed. At last minute he aimed for the surface. Once breaking through the waves, he took a gulp of air. 

His ears were filled with the sound of thunder crackling, frantic yelling from over his head, and the clash of large waves all around him. The sky was black, lighting splintered through the clouds. 

He dared turned around and found himself facing a wall of wood.

Burning wood.


	2. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori finally interacts with a human, even if it means risking both their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think that the first chapter would noticed that quickly! Thank you for those who left kudos and bookmarked it!! Somehow this chapter came out a lot longer then I intended. I'm slowly planning out the rest of the chapters, and will update when I can.

A massive ship towered over the merman, her once crisp white sails now smoldering in the flames. Her wooden body was enveloped in reds and oranges. The air was heavy and thick with the smoke. Nitori took notice that the sky was still crackling and the waves were constantly growing higher, yet no rain fell upon him. There was something about the fire that drew Nitori wanted to swim closer.

It was so mesmerizing. And so warm...

A sudden high pitch scream brought Nitori back to reality. His head shot to the right where the source of the scream came from. A couple meters away he saw a man gasping for air and arms flailing against the water. His overly adorned jewelry flickered every so often, especially his large golden rings. There were strings of blonde hair sticking to the man's face, eyes flashing burgundy and panic. 

The human locked his tear-filled eyes with Aiichirou and again screamed, "HELP ME PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO D-" His body was tugged further down, his face almost flushed to the water. " _PLEASE_   _LET ME GO!!_ " 

A mop of mud brown hair surfaced the water behind the man, then a forehead, and finally the pale face of a merman showed. The light of the fire reflected his milky white skin and pupil-less eyes gave an ominous sight. Nitori felt chills run through his spine. 

The other merman had not seen his kin, or more it was that he was too focused on the human. In an instant, he pushed his victim below the surface. Nitori saw the pained expression on the blonde before swallowing the sea water, muffling his last plea for help. Hands were still grasping the air. The rings gave out a final gleam before disappearing from sight. 

Something inside Nitori made his heart heavy.  _Guilt_. It was none of his business, he had no right to interfere with another Mer's possession. Jewelry or human. Yet the man called for his help, and all Nitori could do was watch his demise. The feeling grew, ears slowly blocking out the other screams of other humans meeting their death... 

" **DAMN YOU!** "

The human resurfaced closer to Nitori and gave out another plea for help. His eyes frantically scanned his surroundings, he was short on breath. The man caught sight of Aiichirou again. "PLEASE!" he yelled and thrust a hand out to the silver haired merman. His head titled back when his body was dragged down again.

He did not hesitate. Nitori dove in and took hold of the man's wrist, but was not expecting to be pulled in.

Chilling cold water enveloped his body, his eyes shut closed from the sudden impact and focused on his gills working to switch back to extracting dissolved oxygen. 

Once he could breathe again, he opened his eyes again and saw a terrible sight below him. The human held a weak grip on Nitori's wrist, bubbles leaving his mouth still screaming and his eyes wide with fear. Two mermen, including the one Nitori saw recently, was pulling the human down by his legs and clothes with alarming speed. Miles away he saw others doing the same thing. Large groups of Mer were dragging both struggling bodies and still corpses. The mermen had not realized his appearance, but once Nitori pulled from his side the two mermen looked up. They bared their sharp teeth and gave out a snarl, both lunged to the one intruding their hunt. 

Nitori's eyes narrowed and without thinking used his tail to push them away a few feet back. He wasted no time to pull the man up, this time it was much easier without the extra weight. He saw the two merman heading his way again, and tried to think another way to keep them away. His tail could defend him for so long. The man's grip was loosening when they were getting closer to the surface. Nitori looked back down and saw the human's eyes drifting to a bleak color, the bubbles going smaller. 

He hesitated at the wrong moment.

Without warning, long fingers yanked Nitori's hair and nails scraped against his back. He winced in pain and saw blood hazing behind him. Without a second thought Aiichirou made his free hand into a fist and threw a punch behind him, knocking one away. He knew violence wasn't going to send them away, he was not strong enough to keep up the fight.

His hair was still being pulled and his human was losing conscious too quickly. 

Both merman were now dragging _him_ down, one still keeping a tight hold of his scalp while the other taking his free arm. Nitori needed to do _something_. 

The human's hand was no longer holding Nitori, his body went limp and his fingers spread across the merman's wrist.

This sudden movement triggered an idea, but he needed to work fast so both he and the human can survive. Letting go of the blonde's wrist, Nitori made fast work to wrench out the golden ring and the rest of the accessories. He twisted his body to face the mermen. Both kept baring sharp teeth and snarled, but stopped when he saw the jewelry. The gold gleamed and caught their attention. The small merman let go of the metal, letting them float for a second. With all his strength, Nitori whipped the jewelry with his tail, sending it further down in the abyss. The two merman let go of their hold, eyes targeting the gold and within seconds disappeared in the darkness below.

Nitori made haste, turning around to find the blonde drifting away from him. Now with both his hands free Nitoriheld onto the human and swam up to the surface. The smell of smoke and burning wood immediately filled up his nostrils. The waves were calming down and there was no sign of lighting. The storm was moving.

He was expecting the human to wake up but he made no movement. His burgundy eyes were closed, body still and mouth slightly open. The small merman's heart raced, the feeling of guilt coming back to him.

 _Was I not fast enough to save him? Nitori_  thought to himself, _What am I suppose to do now...?_ He was still holding onto the human and heard something in the distance. Blue eyes searched for the source and nearly a mile or two away there was a black dot moving to his direction.

"Nagisa!" the dot was growing in size and kept on calling frantically.

A flicker of light came to Nitori's view. Then he finally realized the dot was not just a dot.

Black sails came to view, orbs of light from lanterns were surrounding the ship, and men in tattered black clothing were scattered around.

_Pirates._

Nitori has been around these kind of men throughout most of his time from exile. They were common in open waters. They were also very dangerous.

"NAGISA WHERE ARE YOU?!" the chorus of screaming continued. 

"...nn" Nitori felt a tiny shift in his arms. The blonde man was coming back, which caused the merman to panic. If he is seen by pirates,  _especially_ if they find him with one of their own, there is no telling what kind of brutal torture Nitori might face with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, the new character is Nagisa! He somehow ended up showing sooner then expected. Other characters will eventually make their appearance.


	3. The Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our merman sees a beautiful sight and follows him around the ocean.  
> Nitori's desire for human interaction is growing stronger by the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know very little about boats and even less about pirate lingo.

Nitori couldn't exactly stay in the water holding the human, the pirates would accuse the merman for drowning the blonde. Nor could he leave the human alone in the water, he was barely conscious enough to stay afloat. He was also concerned if those other Mer would come back. 

It took him a moment to find a large piece of broken wood to safely hold the weight of the human. He made sure that the blonde was halfway on the discarded plank and dunk beneath the surface. 

He swam, holding back the temptation to look back. 

 

* * *

 

“Nagisa!” 

“kaaahk” Water sputtered out of Nagisa’s lungs. His hands gripped on his chest before turning to his side to cough out the rest of the sea water. 

“Captain!” another voice called out. 

Nagisa heaved and fell on his back after disposing the water. His burgundy eyes fluttered open, and saw everything in a blur. His eyes slowly adjusted. A crowd was hovering around him and lanterns were displayed everywhere. The air was cool and the sky was clear enough to bring out stars. 

“Nagisa?” a familiar voice called out the blonde’s name, “How are you feeling?”

The blonde closed his eyes and tried to register what was going on. His fingers twitched and felt the hard wood underneath. 

 _Oh_ , his mind was trying to focus, _I’m back on the ship…_

A hand slightly patted his shoulder, “Nagisa..?”

“Rei..?” He turned to the voice and opened his eyes again. His vision was coming back to him, seeing the spectacle man giving a worry look. 

The blue haired man sighed in relief and their ship mates cheered. 

“You’re alive kid!”

“Thought we lost ya!”

“Nnn..” Nagisa’s hand traveled to his neck, the salt still burning his throat, “What happened?”

“You fell off the deck like an idiot during the raid,” a stern voiced called from the back.

The crowd of pirates grew silent and made a path for their captain to walk. Nagisa sat up, only to meet the sharp red glare. “What the _hell_ were you thinking going off alone like that?!”

The young blonde flinched, “S-Sorry Captain…I…” He paused and stared down at the oak wood, “I wanted…only to-“

“Doesn’t matter now” the red haired man interrupted, “Tch, you’re still breathing, that’s all I care right now.” He lend a hand out, which the blonde reluctantly reached out to take but noticed something was off.

The gold ring on his index finger was gone.  

Images of the silver haired man flashed in his eyes. He slowly looked down at himself and realized that all of his jewelry was off. The pale faces of the other merman flashed through and Nagisa bolted up to his feet.

"Nagisa?"

"Where is he?!" the blond twisted around and suddenly leaned over the life line of the boat.

"N-Nagisa!" the red rimmed man grabbed onto his shipmate's shoulder, "Careful or you'll be in the waters again!"

"Where is the merman?" Nagisa questioned with a strong voice.

"Merman?"

"Think the kid's drank too much sea water?"

"Hallucinations, the ocean can do that to you."

"Stop it!" Nagisa glared at the crew of laughing pirates, "I did see a merman, he really is-"

"No such thing" once again the captain interrupted. He was pinching the bridge of his nose out of a frustrating habit.

"I know what I saw!" Nagisa continue to shout, "He saved me from other Mer!"

"The Mer only want our treasure, and bewitch us so we may drown and they can feast on our flesh!" The captain spouted and showed his shark like teeth in the process. His crew fell silent. 

"B-But Captain Matsuoka-!" The smaller pirate was close to tears.

"Silence!" The red haired leader narrowed his eyes to Nagisa, "No more talk about this. Throw away those thoughts and come down to the mess with the rest of the crew." His only response from the blonde was a quiet nod. "Tch..." he turned around and started to head towards the kitchen, "I'll have Nanase prepare something for you besides mackerel. You've had your fill of the ocean already."

 

* * *

 

Nitori had been a fool and followed the ship. He had only wanted to make sure the human was well and promised himself to leave as soon as the human woke up. 

Of course, he hadn't taken in consideration of the beautiful sight that appeared seconds after the human started to talk. 

Vibrant red hair and eyes to match with it, Nitori was also sure that he had seen sharp teeth but let it pass as nonsense. 

The men called him Captain Matsuoka.

The merman felt something in his chest, it felt somewhat similar when he was allured by the fire earlier that night. Yet, it held a lasting effect.

Throughout the night Nitori followed the pirate ship, with a gap no bigger than a whale.

 _This is dangerous_.  He thought to himself over and over again. He could find no logical reason why he would be following the ship but there was a  _need_ for interaction. After saving one human, Nitori wants to badly to be with them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I rushed on this chapter so hopefully the next will be decent.


	4. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori couldn't keep away. Rin is stubborn and Haru gives some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! Motivation is hard to get these days. Also, poorly done editing and I would love to hear what your thoughts are from this story. Suggestions are always welcome! Hopefully I didn't lose too many on you in my absence

"No mackerel?" A pair of blue eyes held a cold gaze at the Captain. 

"No mackerel. Nothing from the ocean." Ruby eyes gave back a stern look. 

"....." Blue eyes shifted away in defeat, the black haired man sighed and turned his back to his boss, "If you think that is what is best for him."

"Do not start with me Nanase," Rin sneered and crossed his arms across from his chest. The blue eyed cook gave one of his famous blank looks. "Tch, Haru," He waved one of his hands to the side to apologize for the last statement.

Showing his back again, Haru went through the cabinets in search for something to "ease his mind from the ocean", or so that's what the Captain recommended. 

"He is not insane," Haru voiced out. He found a few sacks of potatoes, rice, onions, cans of beans, a loaf of bread, and some rotten apples. Of course there was the mackerel stew he finished some time ago, but he has his orders. Since the last raid did not go so well, shopping for food would have to wait until they reach the next town. He would have to be smart how to rationed what they have. 

"You believe the nonsense he speaks?" The captain was still annoyed from earlier. His eyes kept shifting around the small kitchen and grunted, "Mer are just children stories told by their bastard fathers."

Haruka kept quiet, working his way to cook the beans and cut out the bread in slices.

"Well?" Rin was losing his temper again.

"The Mer are as real as you and I, Captain." Haru spoke softly.

There was a loud groan from the red haired man, his hands were thrown up in the air before they took a hold of his hair. His black and gold trimmed tricorn hat was thrown aside earlier. "What a load of  _boys_  I've recruited!" He spat and mess with his hair.

Haru paid no mind to the Captain's tantrum. "The only boy I see on this ship is you Captain Matsuoka," He muttered low enough for Rin not to hear. The shark tooth man grunted something under his breath. Haru rolled his eyes and turned to face Rin. "My answer comes from my experiences and background Captain," he wiped his hands on a rag by the counter, "which is to say that it holds more truth than any ol' wife tales."

"Yes yes," Rin frowned and dared not to look at his cook, "You were raised by sailors, lived with fishermen, traveled all over the east waters for years, and how you were close to being hanged if I did not take you in. I know your story Haru, everyone's stories!"

"Then tell me why is it hard to believe Nagisa?" Dishes and spoons were set on the table, Rin had to step to the side so to not be on the way. "He does not lie, we dare not to, out of respect and our loyalty to you-"

"He had nearly drowned!" Rin slammed a fist on the wooden table. The dishes jumped a few centimeters, which sent Haru giving a cold glare to the red haired man. Rin ignored it and continued shouting, "It was a dream he conjured! Or saw the corpses and hallucinated!"

"Lower your voice Captain," Haru's cold glare was still on Rin, "The rest of the crew will hear, and what will they think of you acting mad?" 

Rin fell silent, his fist still on the table and eyes slowly softening. His shoulders sagged in defeat. "Then what should I do so my men do not think ill of me?"

"Ask for his forgiveness," Haru advised and handed the hat back to its owner, "Listen to what Nagisa has to say. He could have ramble out of fear." He shrugged his shoulders and went back to heat up his stew, "It could be anything."

A loud sigh escaped the red haired Captain's lips. "I will heed your advice Nanase," he set his hat back to place and turned to leave, "If it does not trouble you, I will have my meal in my quarters."

"No trouble at all Captain," Haru followed behind and stopped by the foot of the stairs leading to the upper deck. There was a large brass bell on the wall and a long rope attached inside. He waited until Rin was out of sight and rang the bell. A loud cheer was heard and the rumbling of feet was heading for their dinner. 

The cook served the meal, handed out the cups of grog, and joined in on the side. He kept a watchful eye on Nagisa. From the outside the blonde was smiling, stuffing his face with beans, and joking with the rest of the crew. Just normal Nagisa. Haru could tell there was a different air around his blonde friend, something was off. He couldn't quite place it though. Maybe it was best to allow Rin to handle it. 

 

* * *

 

The sun was setting, spreading the wide skies with oranges and blues in a span of minutes. Nitori watched a few meters away from the ship. He saw the lot of men disappearing from his view and their loud voices had submitted to silence. The merman suspected from the ringing of metal earlier that they went somewhere else in the wooden structure. Once the ship made a stop an the flags were brought down, he made his decision that it was safe to go closer near the front.

Nitori leaned against the wood, his tail swaying above the surface every once in a while. He closed his eyes and started to appreciate the low humming of the waves around. Every now and then the ship would creak or sway along with the merman. What he thought was a few seconds of dozing off, had turned to nearly half an hour. Grey eyes widen in surprise to find how much darker the skies turned. It was black and little white stars were scattered around. There was a half moon, glowing in pure white and reflecting just feet away from Ai. 

It was a breath taking sight. 

 

* * *

 

Who knew that beans and mackerel stew could be so filling? Content with his supper, the Captain left his quarters in no rush. He could hear the bellowing and drunk singing in the mess. A small smile crossed his face.  _Nanase will have quite a fit if his food is on the floor and walls_. Rin held back a laugh and continued his merry way on the deck. Earlier on when he forced himself to be shut in his room, Rin was thinking of how to best approach Nagisa and apologize. That part was easy, what really kept Rin's mind reeling was Haru's belief of the Mer.

_The Mer are as real as you and I, Captain._

Rin sighed, the smile gone now an irritated frown. 

Out of habit his feet had taken him to the forecastle deck. It was at the front of the boat so he could see if anything came their way. But it also gave the perfect view of the ocean. The wind smelled of seaweed and strong odor of salt. It calmed the Captain. He allowed himself to lean against the rail and take in the sight of the night sky. He had always found stargazing to be peaceful and organize his thoughts during troubling times. Most nights he enjoyed the view in solace.

What he did not expect tonight, was a visitor to grace his company.  

 


	5. The Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Matsuoka is caught in a spell.

A head full of silver, skin like white pearls, and a body of innocence. 

Face and body were faced away from the captain, but Rin could distinctly see fins above the surface. His breath was caught from the sight. He could not, dared not make a noise. Yet his mouth parted and moved on its own.

“Mermaid?” Rin whispered, still in doubt that this was a dream or an illusion his mind conjured.

Rin could have sworn that the sea creature was lulled by the ocean, seeing as how the creature’s swayed along with the tide. It felt like hours had passed by and yet the creature gave no notice of the captain’s presence. In the corner of his eye, he saw a sparkle of red by an exposed ear. He had to squint and realized the young Mer was wearing a ruby stud. One stud, it was almost as big as a pebble. In just a matter of a minute, Rin had forgotten where he was. The sound of the sea dulled out to the back of his mind and all his attention was consumed by that single Mer. The more he observed that fragile body, the more he wanted to see the short mop of hair move to the side and already acknowledge Rin’s sinful gaze. True, he could not see himself if his eyes gave hints of lust and wanting, but he felt the need to go just move much closer. Once again, his mouth parted just ever so slightly and built up the confidence to call out and maybe, just maybe, their eyes will meet and-

“And all of them I burned as I sailed, as I sailed~!”

Rin immediately turned his head, eyes darting at the source of the interruption. Three men from his crew, drunk and obviously red from Haru’s specialty made rum, were laughing and stumbling over each other.

“Quiet you drunken fools!” Rin shouted at the top of his lungs and made a full turn to face the men.

One saw the captain and waved from his spot, “Ye! ‘Pologies Cap’teen!” He raised his empty bottle and waved it a little to emphasize the emptiness, “Haruka sure can brew a good drink!”

“We just be takin’ a night stroll Cap!” bellowed the other, “Nut’in’ wrong with a stroll-“

“What you be looking at Cap?” interrupted another, swinging his bottle to his lips before hollering some more, “Have ye been sweet talkin’ to the sea?”

There was an uproar of laughter from the three and each made a comment after another.

“She a pretty one!”

“We won’t be tellin’ ye affair with Haruka!”

“Ye treat ‘er real nice Cap!”

Rin became flustered and irritated, “You’re all drunk with stupidity!” When the three men continued to cackle, he snared his teeth to them, “Make your way back to the kitchen why don’t you?!”

“Aye Cap’tin~!” they sang in unison, stumbling again to the direction they came.

Rin waited until they were out of sight and slowly turned back around, half hoping to see the sea creature.

His eyes fell back to the Mer’s spot and the captain hesitated to walk back to his quarters. Of course as he expected, the Mer was gone. He also half hoped that the past five minutes was just an illusion.

“But was it really….all in my head?” He muttered and ran his fingers through his hair. “I wonder…”

 

* * *

 

_“And all of them I burned as I sailed, as I sailed~!”_

Nitori was shocked to find himself waking up from a light slumber that he had no recollection of taking. But what was more shocking was the outburst from above him. His head fell back and held back a gasp. Just feet above his position was the human he had been taking an interest to. Even without his signature hat, Nitori knew from the head full of red hair that it was Captain Matsuoka. It was only the back of his head, but never had Nitori been so close to him before.

The minute Nitori heard Rin’s voice, chills ran through his tail. It was strong and pleasant. It was so mesmerizing, so much like before. So badly, oh so badly, did Nitori yearn to stay and listen to Rin’s voice.

And he did.

Nitori slowly sank his body below the surface but left his head visible. He took the opportunity to watch how the human spoke in different levels and tones. There were three other voices besides the Captain’s; Nitori figured that his human was having a conversation with other humans. A minute or two passed by and to Nitori’s disappointment the captain had stopped talking. It was the best time to sink back under water and make his way to find a place to sleep for the rest of the night.

The only thing that Nitori regretted that moment, was not staying long enough to see Rin's face. Nitori did not mind taking that risk. He bet the human looked more handsome up close. 


	6. The Fisherman Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori took that risk too soon.

He lied there on his back, staring at the bare ceiling. Sleep could not take over him for his mind could not shake off the thought of seeing a Mer. A real Mer. This kept him up for the majority of the night. Rin glanced to his side where the window showed him the view of a sunrise. He let out a tired sigh and massaged his temples. Had he really gone through the whole night thinking of an old fisherman's tale? No. 

It was no longer a fisherman tale. It was real, he was certain. 

He could not tell anyone his encounter. The whole crew would call him mad. In feared they would throw him over seas to have his dear legend to keep him safe. 

A sudden idea came to mind. He would tell only one person — he had to be careful though. Another glance at the window, the sun was already rising above the water. He did not hesitate, Rin knew this was the best time to go through it. He didn't even bother to put on his Captain gear, his wine colored coat would have to do. The cotton felt nice on his bare skin, and out of habit smoothed out the black lace decorations on the front and on the cuffs. He left his baggy pants on and strut out of his quarters. No one else was on deck, perhaps a few of his men doing the morning chores.

On his way, Rin passed by a few who were in charge of the morning catch. They acknowledged him with a curt nod, and a sluggish "G'Mornin' Captin". 

"Anything yet for today's meal?" he asked out of curiosity.

They shook their heads, "Afraid not Sir."

"Like to have somethin' other than fish for the mornin'" one of them muttered as he pulled his side of the net up,"Won't be surprise to wake next dawn with gills."

The captain chuckled and patted the man's shoulder, "We'll be seeing port sooner or later in the next few days." He smiled and waved off, "Keep your chins up men!" Rin heard a few grumbled "yes" as he continued his way.

He had wondered to the sleeping quarters of his men. The Captain silently walked through the aisles of beds of hanging hammocks and sleeping men. They rolled ever so slightly with each wave that came in contact with the ship. Near the middle of the aisle Rin spotted him. Just a hammock above him, a tangle mess of blond was peeking out of the cotton sheets. Rin nudged Nagisa's shoulders. The blond did not budge, and continued to snore away. 

"Wake up Nagisa!" Rin whispered harshly. He tried to poke Nagisa's cheek, shake the hammock, but nothing could wake the blond from his slumber. "I will be damned to allow you to sleep away the morning," the Captain muttered and decided on one last resort. He pinched Nagisa's nose for only a mere few seconds until he jolt up with a loud snort. Nagisa whipped his head and sent a disapproved glare to Rin, who returned with daggers.

"Captiiiiiin~" Nagisa groaned rather loudly.

"Quiet" Rin whispered in a panic. He looked around the quarters. Sleeping forms still nestled in their hammocks, a few mumbled in their sleep. No one had waken him to their talk.

Nagisa rubbed his pained nose and whispered, "I'm not due on deck this morning-"

Rin laid a finger on his mouth to be quiet and motioned Nagisa to follow him out of the room. The smaller pirate raised an eyebrow but obliged. Both men left in silence, and just as they had reached the salty air Nagisa went back to questioning.

"Captain" he rubbed a sleepy eye while following the red head to the bow, "Will you _please_  tell me why you've pulled me away from my hammock? If it's about the food fight last night, I  _swear_ to you it wasn't _me_ this time-"

"This time?" The Captain stopped at his heels and spun to face the blond, "How many have you - no, wait, never mind that!!"

Fingers went through his hair in frustration. Sometimes the kid was too much. 

"How do I even begin to..." Rin mumbled to himself, "I want to apologize for yesterday."

"Yesterday...?" Nagisa tilt his head to the side, trying to remember what events had happened.  "About...what exactly?" 

Rin looked around, being extra cautious that none of the morning crew were close enough to hear their conversation.

He leaned a little closer to Nagisa and mumbled,"The Mer."

Pink orbs widened. "O-oh, no Captain it's..." Nagisa had tried to forget that moment ever happened. He was so humiliated. He _knew_ what he saw. "Y-you were right, just a hallucination-"

"I saw it too."

Nagisa's eyes shot up and stared directly at Rin, who was looking back at him with such a serious face. Had he heard right? The Captain, who never believed in anything of the paranormal, had actually confessed of witnessing seeing a Mer? 

"Last night. It had silver locks," Rin couldn't forget that hair. It was so unusual, so alluring. 

_Unbelievable!_ Nagisa thought. Who would have thought both men had seen the same Mer?! And in the same day! He couldn't contain holding back a huge grin.

"He" the blond corrected, "The one we both saw, was a he, Sir."

"Excuse me?" Rin frowned.

"He had a flat chest," Nagisa patted his own to emphasize, "And blue eyes- oh! and a mole just under here," He pointed under his right eye.

"You saw his face?" Rin felt a jealous sensation through his bones. He had only been able to see the back of the creature and little peek of his tail. 

Nagisa could see the hint of jealousy but continued on all giddy, "But it's still so amazing that the Captain saw him too!" 

"Hush!" Rin clenched his teeth and looked around. One or two men were looking at them with arched eyebrows but quickly went back to work after Rin waved them off. He leaned close to Nagisa,"No one can know." The little blond frowned, hurt almost. The red haired avoided his eyes and sighed, "Please. Trust me when I say that the whole lot will think different from me..." He had tried to pull off a small smile, "I do have a reputation to hold. If word gets out that _the_ Fearsome Red Shark encountered some mystical being, not only would my men think me mad but our allies and enemies will drag us to Davy Jone's Locker."

Nagisa hummed quietly, understanding but still frowning in disappointment. "Fine..." he muttered, "I'll keep quiet 'bout him."

Rin smiled, satisfied with the blond's answer, "Now we can both get back to the comfort of our quarters with a peaceful mind and-"

The quiet atmosphere from the morning crew broke when they hear Mikoshiba's hollering. They couldn't exactly get a clear word out of him since the morning's high tides were so much louder. But both men watched their friends gathering to Mikoshiba, who was now pointing to the two men in charge of catching breakfast. By the look at the crew, their faces were distorted by confusion and judgement. 

"What in Davey Jone's Locker is that idiot doing this early in the day" Rin muttered and strolled his way through the crowd, Nagisa following so very close behind his heels. 

"Captain!!" Mikoshiba waved his hands frantically when he saw Rin clearing a path, "It was true along!"

"Seijuurou, what are you-?!"

"The legends-the tales-all this time were true!" Mikoshiba kept pointing to the men dragging the nets up on the deck,"A mermaid has appeared on our waters!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are truly amazing for waiting months for an update. I'll try not to have such a long waiting time for the next chapter.


	7. The Legend is Real Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Captain has some internal conflicts on defining what is real and what is an urban myth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so patient with this story! You deserve more updates, and I will deliver once I figure out how this one ends. Hopefully in a happy note. 
> 
> This chapter was by far the hardest one I had to write. Because honestly, i didn't think I would end up getting this far. It became so long I had to split it.
> 
> Enjoy!

"A Mermaid has appeared on our waters!" Mikoshiba pointed to the men hauling the fish net.

The Captain's eyes bulged, taking in what his second in command just announced. A sharp pain went through his body. He froze in place as Mikoshiba and a few men rushed past him. They were all shoulder to shoulder at the edge of the boat, trying to get a good look at the catch. In the corner of his eye, Rin could tell Nagisa was having the same difficulty to make a move. His face, usually colored from the long exposed hours under the sun, now pale with fright and anxiety. His magenta eyes held their gaze at the crowd.

They couldn't utter a word, not knowing exactly what to say. Only to watch in anticipation as the net was being pulled over the rail. It landed with a huge  _thump._ An array of colored scaled fish were flailing around, a terrible attempt on freeing themselves. But there was, just a small glimpse, the tip of a familiar silver tail poking a few centimeters out. Rin felt a quivering hand on his arm. Nagisa held a fistful of the Captain's sleeve, his free hand resting on his gaping mouth. 

At least four men, including Mikoshiba, tried to untangle the net, the crowd coming in closer to the pile of fish. And perhaps more. Their voices became louder, booming with excitement and hardly any patience left. So loud, all at once, it was starting to merge as just background noise for the red haired pirate. Without being fully conscience what his body was doing, Rin started to push away the crowd in front of him. All the while he dragged a very confused Nagisa behind, who was still holding tight to the Captain's arm. Rin was quiet, his eyes large and fixed to get closer to the net. His steps became rush, close to running. He felt desperate to get closer to the front of the crowd. 

"C-Captain!" Nagisa lost his grip once Rin bolted to the front.

Everything became quiet. The crew's thrill and buzz had stopped when Mikoshiba pushed away the last pile of fish off the net.

In all his glory - every silver scale, every inch of smooth pale skin, every way the silver mop of hair was tousled on the wood - was the Mer.

 

* * *

  

"Is this really the best thing to keep him in?"

"The only good thing this crate did was collect fish heads."

Nitori was hearing voices again. He could make out very few words, still unable to understand the human's language. He tried to move, but found it painful. It even hurt to open his eyes. Nitori did manage to move his head, if only for a couple inches into the cold water that submerge his body. For a split second he thought that he was back in the ocean, but the solid wood texture on his back led him otherwise.

"Wait, did you see that?"

That voice. Sounding too familiar. Nitori tried again to move. His tail felt a little numb and slimy from being exposed outside of the ocean for too long. He forced himself to open his eyes.

"S-Seijuro! He's waking up! Tell the Captain!"

Muffled noises made through his ears before a light blinded him. The merman groaned and heard a gasp too close to his ears. He tried to open his eyes again, slowly, and saw familiar faces. 

Familiar to him of course, during the duration of stalking the ship, Nitori had been trying to remember faces and names that his favorite human associated with. 

"Look at 'em eyes!" the blond called in awe. He was a mere inches away from his face. Nitori remembers him very well from their first encounter. His magenta eyes were dazzling and wide with fascination.

  
“D-Don’t get so close to it!” The second voice came from a man with hair in an odd tint of blue and purple hair. His hand jumped to Nagisa’s shoulder in an attempt to pull him back. 

The blond swatted the grip away before moving even closer to Nitori. The close proximity made the Mer uncomfortable. He tried to back away as far against his wooden barriers. Nagisa frowned and turned to look back to the man with the red spectacles and concern expression.

“He won’t bite Rei-chan.” Said pirate raised an eyebrow as if not convinced. Nagisa rolled his eyes and gave the silver haired Mer a genuine smile. "Don't be too afraid Mer-chan, we won't hurt you."

Rei scoffed and dramatically laid hid hand on his forehead, "Nagisa, Mer cannot comprehend our language, it is impossible-"

"Th-thank y-yuu..." Nitori struggled to say with a hitched voice. His lips trembled a little. Ai was just so nervous and overwhelmed by everything.

A gasp from Nagisa.

A stuttering Rei with flailing arms, "Impossible, how can he..."

The merman's face colored in embarrassment and slowly raised a finger to the blond. Rei brought his body in front of the younger pirate, thinking that the merman was going to attack. Ai tried to keep his finger steady. "N-N-Na...Na...gees...sah." No doubt did Nitori bastardized the pirate's name, but the surprise and pleasant looks he received made the Mer very happy. 

 

* * *

  

"There is no need to be so  _dramatic_  about this Captain." Haru was getting annoyed by Rin's pacing in his quarters, mumbling and cursing to himself. The cook was beginning to get worried by his captain's mentality. 

It's been a good hour since the Mer was caught, leaving the whole crew in the ship in a frantic. Those silver locks and the unmistakable ruby stud on his right ear - of course it was the young merman that Rin had saw just last night! He made orders to his men to find something to occupy the creature with water. Rin had only noticed the Mer was hurt. His beautiful silver scaled fin was stained with blood. 

 _How did he get hurt? Was he attacked?_  Rin fretted and made no haste to carry the boy in his arms. His skin was turning more pale and slimy. There was a large gash on his fin.  _Was it our fault? Did we cause him this pain?_

A strong grip on his shoulder brought him back to the present. Haru was pushing him to the kitchen. 

Rin's heart jumped and made a sudden accusation, "H-Haru! We can't eat him!"

The dark haired cook looked offended and scoffed. "You think that low of me, my Captain?" He mumbled and let the Captain head down the stairs first. 

Rin was led at the back of the kitchen, where most of the food is stored and kept organized. He saw a tuft of blond and blue hair shuffling around a large crate. It was full to the brim with water.

“Captain Rin-Rin!” Nagisa grinned and waved his hands towards the crate, “Haru-chan’s a genius!”

Haru gestured the shark toothed pirate to the crate. Finally having realized Haru's intentions, Rin carefully laid the Mer inside the wooden crate. In the corner of his eye, did he see a slight glow under the water. The group of men watched in amazement when the gash was healing itself. Two minutes passed by. No more wound. No more blood. As if the merman was never injured.

Rin gave out a sigh of relief.  _I'd be damned to let him die._

"Why won't you stay with him Captain?" Rin blushed at Haru's offer. The cook slipped a small smile, knowing that he had embarrassed his captain's affection for the merman. He was so easy to read.

"I-I rather have these two keep watch over him..." Rin glanced at Nagisa and Rei, “I’ll send over Mikoshiba to help in case something does happen.” The two appointed body guards nodded. Rin scratched the back of his neck and headed out the kitchen."I need to...reassure the crew that our newcomer means no harm to us."

With that, both the captain and the cook left the two men in charge. True to his words, Rin did manage to convince the rest of the men in the ship that Nitori was in no way a danger to them. Some of course were skeptical. Although it was pointed out by many that not once have their Captain lied and brought them danger. 

It was settled. The crew agreed that no one would bother the Mer until their captain gave them the OK to see him. 

Which brings us to the current dilemma.

What will Rin do now with a Mer on his ship? 

For the entirety of Nitori's resting period, Rin paced back and forth from his desk. At the spot Rin told Haru about the night before. When he first saw sight of the creature and felt so allured by him.

"It may seem my Captain has his eyes on a new kind of treasure." 

Try as he might, Rin could not hide a blush from his comrade's teasing. An amused smile crept on Haru's face. "May I advise something to you?" he asked in a calm voice, "If you do not plan to keep him as a pet, I suggest you set him free to be with his own kind." A pair of crimson eyes stared at the cook in disbelief. "You once told me that his kind were, how did you put it..." Haru paused for a moment and gave a keep nodded, "children stories told by their bastard fathers." His captain winced and frowned but kept his silence. "Inform me of your intentions for this particular Mer." Haru crossed his arms, "You should give me that much."

Rin didn't leave his eyes on Haru. He knew it was the right thing to do, the only option really. He didn't know why he suddenly wanted to keep the Mer alive. His heart told him to, it was the only explanation he had. Any other pirate with the decent mindset of one would have kept the Mer as their prisoner. Yet at this moment he had one beautiful merman captivated in a container with water and accompanied by two bodyguards. 

While in thought of how to best answer his comrade, a hasty knock and Seijuro's voice interrupted. 

"Captain," Seijuro called from the other side of the door, "He's awake."

Haru looked over Rin with a calm demeanor, "Decide soon. Before we all become trap in your net."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe this has 100 kudos! Seriously though, PLEASE bother me at my tumblr (petiteotaku) or twitter (@PetiteNiku) to keep writing.


	8. The Legend is Real Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our little Mer finally sees his favorite human, up close and personal. While Captain Rin tries to deal the matter that his ship is carrying something that belongs to the ocean and not for live men to see.

Rin and Haru were led back to the kitchen by Seijuro. The fiery red head was practically running to the companionway, Rin scolding twice to slow down.  Once they were below deck and just a few feet away from the kitchen, Rin suddenly felt nervous. How would the Captain,  _the_ Red Shark, respond to a mythical being that he so thought was just an old wive's tale?

"C-Captain Rin!"

Rin halted. His face turning bright and he felt his heart quicken its' pace. Before his eyes, the silver head Mer had called out his name the instant the Captain stepped in. His first words Rin heard from the Mer's voice was his name! And for whatever reason, it felt right. 

 _But how did he know my name?_ It was a little suspicious, but he was on a first name basis with other pirates and  _very_ well known by the Navy. He pondered for a moment if his reputation not only spread to mankind but of fantastical creatures. 

Rin was broken from his thoughts by Nagoya's laugh and had finally taken notice how he patted the Mer's shoulder like an old friend. Which didn't bring any comfort to the silver head. The Mer's slender fingers retreated back to his face, his whole body was turning red from embarrassment. 

Rin, now far beyond past what he was prepared for a few minutes ago, had turned to stone. A blushing tomato of a stone, who was attempting of a poor job to hide his face as well but his hands went nowhere near it. The captain tried to calm himself by turning his spastic hands into fists and dug them as deep as he could in his pockets.

Nagisa was still laughing, Rei mumbling apologies, Rin could even hear snickering from Haru and Seijuro.

 _Bastards_.

To cover up his flustered state, the Captain cleared his throat and with the best of his ability to avoid looking at the Mer, questioned his Boatswain and Navigator.

"How did you two managed to teach a Mer my name?"

Still trying to stifle his giggles, Nagisa shook his head. "We didnt Captain. Those were his first words after waking up."

"Wha-"

"It's truly remarkable!" Rei piped in, "he's an intelligent creature! I theorize Mer are capable of learning our language because of how many men they watch over before luring them to hold captive in the waters."

"That's absurd" Seijuuro boomed. So loud enough it made Nitori flinch. Rin frowned, he was about to warn the Master Gunner but was cut off by said officer, "Intelligent? I believe it. But to hold hostage on our brothers?" Seijuuro eyes moved to Nitori, who had move his hands to cover just below his eyes. The Mer held a curious look to the Master Gunner, who returned a kind smile instantly. "He couldn't hurt a soul if he wanted to."

Everyone turned their attention to Nitori. He blinked and lowered his hands in the water. He opened his mouth, the pirates speculating that he must've known more then what he let on. But instantly closed his mouth and turned his eyes to the water he was sitting in. Nobody in the room could determine if the Mer understood a lick of what they said. But the way he presented himself in this situation indicated that he knew _something_  to an extent.

Rin wanted to believe that this particular Mer was innocent and had no plans to drown them in the very waters they were riding on. At one point, Rin could not wrap around the idea that Mer were real. Yet here is the living proof, sitting in a crateful of sea water.

 _But_.

What if the rumors were true? The rumors that heed warning for sailors and other seaman to take precaution when riding the ocean. Storms are easy to avoid, if the Captain of his ship trusts his Navigator. Mer on the other hand, as Rin has been told countless times by his friends, can take a whole crew down quicker than any bad storm. If all the Mer looked like Nitori, fragile an delicate, it is very possible that they are able to take advantage of their appearance to lure seamen. By doing so, man would be at their mercy. 

Would that make Rei's theory true?

_Like Seijuuro stated. It's too absurd._

The cook broke the silence with a question everyone was thinking, "Why don't we just ask him?"

"It's not so easy as it sounds Officer Haruka!" Rei dramatically waved his hands to an 'X', "Even if he did understand us, we have yet to hear what other words he know."

"All he said for ten minutes was 'Captain Rin' or 'Captain'!" Nagisa pointed to his canine teeth, "he even called you a shark!" The Boatswain patted Nitori's head in a teasing matter, the Mer's blush wasn't settling down. That went both for Rin too.

The captain clicked his tongue, a sign of his frustration and Nagisa knew it was caused by his teasing manner. Nagisa's grin only widened that much more.

Rin walked on over to the Mer, attempting again to settle his flustered state. The silver haired creature was avoiding any eye contact with Rin, who was a little disappointed. He wanted to see those pretty blue orbs that reflected a comfortable sense of the ocean.

He made sure to stand confident and cleared his throat, facing the Mer and settled his voice to a gentle tone. "Do you have a name?"

"....n-n..name..?" The young Mer tried to understand this new word.

"Yes, a name." Rin pointed to himself, "Rin" then pointed to each officer in the room, "Nagisa. Rei. Seijuuro. Haru."

"....name..." Nitori gave a tiny nod to indicate he understood. Sort of. He quickly asked himself if he was able to say who he was in the human's language. He cleared his throat and pronounce slowly, "...Ni..to.." He took a deep breath, "r-ri...A-Aii...chi..r-rou" He showed a confident smile, proud of himself. Over the time he's observed ships and her passengers, Nitori made it his goal to pronounce common sounds to form small words in translation to the simple whistles and clicking Mers were raised to communicate to one another.

But to translate his birth name in Mer to Human...what a challenge!

Rin grinned and nodded, "Nitori Aiichirou, is it?" Said Mer nodded with a warm smile. He liked the way the red haired human called him. "You must be a resident to the Japanese waters!" Aii titled his head and furrowed his brow. The captain shook his head and chuckled to himself, "Nevermind young Mer, we'll talk more later." 

Knowing that they both had something in common, it made Rin a little less nervous and more focused on the task at hand. 

Now that formalities passed, Samezuka's Captain needed to figure out what to do with their guest. He asked the officers to follow him at the kitchen. They needed a plan, and he could not do it alone. He already had an idea what to do with the Mer, but his fellow officers would in no doubt be opposed to it.

 

* * *

  

Nitori watched the group go into the next room and immediately sunk his head under water. They only spoke for a short time, but the silver haired Mer could feel his heart beating so much faster and louder than any other time in his life. He felt so  _happy_ and so  _relieved_ to finally meet the Captain. He stood maybe no more than a mere foot away from Aii and the Mer could see how gentle and caring those piercing red eyes were. 

 _Rin._ It was what he called himself. Captain to others, but he specifically told Aii his birth name. 

It was so much to take in!

He peeked his head out and heard the next room booming with voices. One in particular Aii knew off the bat was the Captain. He did not sound pleased.

 

* * *

 

Once the officers took their seats and Haru offered a round of rum, Rin sighed and rubbed his temples. How was he going to explain the rest of the crew that he wanted to keep the Mer for the remainder of the their trip?

"Captain...?" Rin looked up to his Navigator. "Should we proceed to sail back to-"

"Yes, we had planned to go on this route since we departed Sapporo." Rin took a swing of his rum and continued with an irritated voice, "No matter the situation we all agreed-"

"But shouldn't we change course  _because_ of the situation we're in now?" Haru piped in and pointed to the storage room, "Wouldn't he bring in more trouble than it's worth?"

Rin slammed his cup on the wooden table and sent a glare the officer, "Watch your mouth, _Nanase._ "

"Please, let's hear what he has to say Captain!" Rei pushed his untouched rum away,"He has as much authority as you Captain."

"Tsk..."Rin rubbed his temples again and mumbled to himseld, "It's only until we dock and our Quarter Master finishes his errands."

"What do you suggest Quarter Master Nanase?" Seijuuro questioned, "Hide him elsewhere?"

Haru glanced at a snaring shark-toothed Captain, "You're not going to like it."

"Spit it out already!"

"We leave him behind, back in the ocean."

"What?!" Nagisa stood up from his seat and exclaimed, "We can't do that! He saved me from the last raid!"

" _Nobody_ is going to leave him behind." Rin gritted his teeth.

"We are at his debt!" Nagisa looked at Rei for support, "He did say he was from Japan right? Like us! The least we can do is bring him back home with us. The Chinese are too busy to notice us going through the Sea of Japan, they're all lined up at the trading routes."

"He is going to put us at risk!" Haru lost his patience and slammed a fist on the table, "Once we dock, word will go out that we are holding Neptune's child _as a pet._ We are going to attract a lot of unnecessary attention!"

Rin's glare did not waver, " _Nanase_  I am  _warning_ you."

Haru glared back and heaved a frustrated sigh, " _Captain_ , this Mer-"

"He has a name Haru-chan!" Nagisa whined.

"Nitori," Haru continue at this point near shouting, "is suppose to be a legend, a myth right? But if every pirate and the Marooned Navy - and you  _know_ that the British Navy will be the first to come looking for us - knows where we are heading, that is risking not just  _our_ lives but our  _family's_ lives as well!"

"I am **very**  well aware the danger that I putting my crew through!" Rin slammed both his fists on the table, sending all the officer's rum off the surface, "I have a plan **damn it** , if you can stitch your bastard mouth for a minute and listen!"

The room became unpleasantly silent. It wasn't uncommon for the two to bicker, but never did the Captain scream anything so cruel until now. Haru bit back his words and stormed out of the kitchen, back to the deck.

After the sound of Haru's footsteps, Rin sat back to his seat and ignored the unsettling expressions from his officers.

"I have a plan," the red haired captain began, "But I need the help from my officers, my _trustworthy_  officers and my crew." 

"You never had to question our loyalty," Nagisa offered a sad smile, "We'll always stand by your side Captain."

Rin returned a small smile, but his lips returned to a thin line of a frown. "It's going to be dangerous. We might make a few new enemies on the way."

"What do you have in mind, Captain?" Seijuro looked over at the puddle of rum leaking through the floorboords. "Will it cost us more of our drink?"

Rin striaghten up and replied, "I am asking you all to make a sacrifice."

"As if terrorizing ships as a means for survival is not enough?" Rei questioned.

The Samezuka's Captain, usually poised with confidence and a daring vibe, now sagged in his seat in defeat.

"We will not be able to go home after this." 


End file.
